Duke climb running out of time
Mar 8, 2009
Media members asked Duke players about their inability to “get over the hump,” an imaginary incline that nevertheless stymied pursuit of the second-ranked Tar Heels in a 79-71 defeat. Now, with postseason beckoning, with one-and-done play all that remains, the seventh-ranked Blue Devils can only hope they are prepared to make a more imposing climb without faltering.
“We’re a really good basketball team,” declared Duke’s Jon Scheyer after his team fell to 25-6, finishing as runnerup in the ACC regular season for the second year in a row. “I think we don’t fully believe that or accept that. Moving forward, we have to know that.”
Scheyer’s comment echoed his ruminations of 2007, when he spoke of the team’s wavering confidence before Duke was ousted from the ACC and NCAA tournaments in its initial outings. Last season belief and performance were stronger but bodies were not, and Duke was eliminated from each tournament after a single win. “Obviously our year has been aimed for being as strong as we could for the postseason,” Scheyer said of 2008-09. “Postseason starts now.”
The junior guard has done his part since moving to the helm of Duke’s offense six games ago. Against UNC he had “a great game,” according to coach Mike Krzyzewski. Scheyer led all scorers with 24 points on 7 of 7 shooting, including a trio of 3-pointers. He also had five assists and four steals without a turnover. He was one of three Blue Devils in double figures.
Still, it was a winning effort in a losing cause. “When we needed that one play or that one stop,” Scheyer lamented. "We just couldn’t make those plays that we needed to, to win.”
Just as in the teams’ earlier meeting at Durham, on Sunday afternoon the Devils led at halftime, making a handsome percentage of their shots in the opening period. Duke was content to run full-bore at Cameron Indoor Stadium; at the Smith Center the tempo was more controlled, deliberate.
Yet on Senior Day, with such UNC luminaries as Michael Jordan and Charlotte Bobcats head coach Larry Brown on hand, the result and the verdict ultimately were the same as on Feb. 11 at Durham: North Carolina rallied in the second half to emerge with the win.
Krzyzewski pointed to a few plays as spelling the difference, but pronounced himself pleased with Duke’s improvement compared with the first meeting. “We played better defense,” Krzyzewski said. “I thought we got better shots. I thought we competed better. We’re a better basketball team than we were a month ago. But they’re really good. They’re, if not the top team, they’ve got to be one of the top two or three. I’m good with where my team is at.”
North Carolina didn’t take the lead for good at Durham until near the midpoint of the second half. This time the Heels had a smaller deficit to overcome, and took less time doing it. Duke opened the second half with a baseline drive for a dunk by freshman Elliot Williams, pushing a slender advantage to 41-38. But UNC responded with seven unanswered points, and the chase was on.
“They’re a very tough team to defend when it comes down to it,” said Duke’s Kyle Singler. “We could never get over that 6-point hump that we had pretty much throughout the whole game. We brought it down to two points, but we were never able to get back the lead.”
Singler, too, had an impressive showing. The sophomore forward hit four 3-pointers, matching his best production of the season. He scored 23 points overall and grabbed a team-best six rebounds. Despite 18 field goal tries, Krzyzewski wished he’d shot more.
UNC enjoyed its greatest defensive success stymying Gerald Henderson, Duke’s leading scorer at 16.7 points per game. “He’s such a threat driving the ball to the basket,” said UNC coach Roy Williams. “He’s so strong. He and Singler, they’ve been sensational. In my opinion, you’d have a hard time finding five players in the league better than those two guys.”
Henderson is an explosive force, elevating above defenders or bursting past them. But the Heels, particularly senior “Dancin’ Danny Green,” as described by the Smith Center’s public address announcer, did an excellent job of keeping Henderson out of the lane. When Henderson did penetrate he was confronted by taller players or double-teamed. His penchant for cradling the ball on his hip, and for thrusting it ahead in traffic to beat defenders off the dribble, then chasing it down to complete the play, led to five turnovers, high for either team.
At times it appeared Henderson, who tried a single 3-pointer, was so set on attacking the basket he made himself easier to defend. “G can play better,” Krzyzewski said, adding quickly. “We’re fine with G.”
Of greater concern is refining the strengths that led Duke to five consecutive victories prior to visiting Chapel Hill. The run coincided with placing Elliot Williams at the point defensively, where he had some success limiting UNC’s hobbled Ty Lawson, playing with a piece of metal in his shoe to protect an injured toe. “You can definitely tell, he makes an impact on the floor when he’s out there,” Singler said of his 6-4 teammate. “Just not on defense – he’s a player.”
Williams is only a freshman, finding his way. Forward Lance Thomas is playing hurt. Guard Nolan Smith, the starting point prior to Williams’ emergence, has yet to recover from a concussion suffered at Maryland two weeks ago. He remains prone to dizziness, and his personality has not fully returned to normal. Williams’ defensive prowess has cost playing time for seniors David McClure and Greg Paulus.
For Duke to excel, the team also needs reliable scoring from someone besides Henderson, Scheyer and Singler. The bench failed entirely to register a point against UNC. Not that there was much bench play – the starters were on the floor for all but 19 minutes.
All of which requires a certain amount of recalibration, a melding of talents and roles best pursued in November and December, Krzyzewski said. “We don’t have much time.”
The 2008 Blue Devils finished 28-6. This squad is better, even with its uncertainties and a chronically weak interior defense that allowed UNC to gain a 37-22 edge on the boards. Probably not good enough to reach the Final Four, but then again, don’t rule out the possibility.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see them at any point down the line,” Roy Williams said after his team won its third straight in the series. “I wouldn’t be surprised at anything that Duke accomplishes because I think they’re really good with great savvy, with three guys that can really score in so many different ways.”
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Posted Mar 9, 1:14 p.m.
Rank: Sports Legend Posts: 3485
Joined: Jun, 2007
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
RE: Duke climb running out of time
Perhaps Barry and Duke would like to be left alone. Something as special and intimate as the obvious love affair between the two, should be private. I can hear the strolling violinist now. The lights are dimming, the candles are lit.I should have read this before I ate my lunch.
